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Helping Europe Grow

DAVOS, Switzerland —
The aging of Western Europe is a continuing concern, leading to worries that there will not be enough workers to support generous public pension policies.

At a World Economic Forum panel on European economic growth, Christina Lagarde, France’s minister of trade, bragged that France has a higher birth rate than its neighbors, but it fell to Thomas Middelhoff, the chief executive of KarstadtQuelle, to take personal responsibility:

“I did my utmost to help Germany,” he said. “I’ve got five children and that’s the max I can do.”

No. If Social Security and pension plans were financed, it would be a very different world, and people might discuss advantages of aging and declining populations – less environmental impact, more affordable housing.

But they are not, and the prevalent view is that there is a need for workers to pay for their elders’ retirement.

The Affordable Care Act imposes economic burdens that are the equivalent of taxes, an economist writes. Read more…

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Economics doesn't have to be complicated. It is the study of our lives — our jobs, our homes, our families and the little decisions we face every day. Here at Economix, journalists and economists analyze the news and use economics as a framework for thinking about the world. We welcome feedback, at economix@nytimes.com.